Are Online Wills Legal in the UK?

Are online wills legally binding in England and Wales?

Yes. An online will is legally binding once signed in front of two independent witnesses who sign in your presence, the same requirement as any will.

The Wills Act 1837 governs every will made in England and Wales.

An online will service is a drafting tool, not a different legal category of document. You answer a guided set of questions, the will is generated and checked, then you print it and sign it in the traditional way. It is the signing and witnessing that makes any will legal, not whether it started life on a screen or in a solicitor’s office.

Is a fully digital, unsigned online will legal?

No. A will that exists only on a screen, with no printed, signed original, is not currently valid anywhere in England and Wales. This is a common misunderstanding about online wills.

Whichever service you use, the finished document must be printed and signed in wet ink, with two witnesses physically present at the signing. A temporary law allowed witnessing by video link during the pandemic, but that provision expired in January 2024 and is no longer in force, so remote witnessing is not currently an option either. The Law Commission has recommended allowing fully electronic wills in future reform, but no new law has been passed, so a printed, signed original witnessed in person is still required today. An “online will” describes how the document was drafted, not how it is executed.

What makes any will, online or not, invalid?

A will is invalid if it is not properly signed, not witnessed by two people present together, or made by someone lacking mental capacity. These rules apply equally whether a solicitor or an online service drafted the document.

The most common ways an online will goes wrong are the same as any other will. Only one witness instead of two, a witness who is also a beneficiary, or witnesses signing at different times rather than together. A solicitor-checked online will has each document reviewed before you sign, specifically to catch these errors before they become permanent.

Do online wills hold up in court and at probate?

Yes, a correctly signed and witnessed online will is treated exactly the same as any other will at probate and if it is ever challenged. The court examines whether the will meets the legal formalities, not how it was drafted.

If a will’s validity is disputed, the questions asked are about capacity, signing, and witnessing, never about whether the document was written online, by a solicitor, or by hand. An online will that met the formalities when signed has the same standing as any other.

Does an online will need to be registered to be legal?

No. A will is legal once properly signed and witnessed, whether or not it is registered anywhere with a service afterwards. Registration only affects how easily it can be found later.

Services such as the National Will Register help executors and beneficiaries locate a will after death, but registering is optional and has no bearing on validity. This is different from the more common misunderstanding about online wills specifically. Many people assume “online” means fully digital and unsigned. In fact every will, including one drafted through an online service, still has to be printed and signed with wet ink in front of two witnesses to be enforceable under current law.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do a will online without a solicitor?

Yes. You do not need a solicitor to make a legally valid will in England and Wales, whether online or otherwise. Using a solicitor-checked online service adds a review step that catches common errors, without requiring a full solicitor appointment.

Are online wills any good compared to solicitor wills?

For a straightforward estate, an online will checked by a solicitor achieves the same legal result as a solicitor-drafted will, at a fraction of the cost. For complex estates involving trusts, business assets, or blended families, tailored solicitor advice is worth the extra cost.

What is the biggest mistake people make with a will?

The most common mistake is a witnessing error, such as using only one witness or having a beneficiary act as a witness, which can invalidate the will or cancel that person’s gift. A solicitor check catches these errors before you sign.

Are online wills recognised at probate the same as solicitor wills?

Yes. Probate accepts a will based on whether it meets the legal formalities, not on which service drafted it. A correctly signed and witnessed online will has exactly the same standing as one prepared by a solicitor, with no extra scrutiny applied.